220 PROF. T. M KENNY HUGHES, M.A. 
With regard to the shells which my friend has taken me to task 
about, I have already stated that I have not the slightest doubt that 
all these things he has described in the Reliquice: Aquitanice* are 
the work of man. The plates he has been so good as to lend me 
are here somewhere; they were handed round. In the remarks to 
which he refers, I was speaking, not of his figures, but of the teeth 
of sharks and other fossils perforated by lithodomous molluscs. But 
another kind of evidence comes in in these cases. In some very old 
deposits, such as the gravels of St. Acheul and Amiens, there are a 
number of fossil sponges, Coccinopora globularis, washed out of the 
chalk. These are small bead-like objects, with a hole through the 
middle, which are found together in such number and arrangement, 
that, although it is certain man did not make them, it is supposed 
he may have collected them, and that they were strung together 
and worn as a necklace ; and if the fact that they were found all 
together in that manner when confirmed by competent observers, 
it would be very strong evidence. 
Another case referred to is that of sharks’ teeth perforated as if 
intended to be strung together, but when they were exhibited 
I found that a very small number were perforated in the 
same part of the tooth, and a great many teeth were perforated in 
all sorts of irregular manners. I next found that other objects 
besides these teeth,—pieces so large they could not be strung for 
necklaces at all, pieces of heavy bone,—were perforated in the same 
manner, but not always quite at right angles to the surface. Thus 
suspicion was raised at once. If that is the case, what is it that 
would bore a little way in and give the cavity its peculiar form P 
What is it that would bore obliquely into one and straight into 
another? I selected a portion of one tooth in which there was a 
small hole which did not go through. I had this carefully sawn 
across. I found it was of the soda-water-bottle-shape in which the 
pholades and other lithodomous molluscs commonly live. The 
suspicion was raised because of the want of symmetry and selection 
of the same part. But Ido not therefore maintain that no people 
have worn teeth and other objects bored and strung together as 
ornaments. I have frequently seen myself amongst civilised people 
beautiful shells worn as necklaces with the outside off so that there 
is a pearly appearance. I have no doubt if you look round at the 
next party you go to you will find, here and there, there are such 
* Williams and Norgate. London, 1875. 
